Consultancy Services for the Town Fund - Stage 2

The Council is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced consultant for this second stage of the Town Fund process, to produce the Town Fund Investment Plan (3-month period). This will allow application for funding for Corby up to £25 million. Further support may be required for possible PR/media support, advertising or further studies to be carried out again dependant on the outcome of stage one. Again, this will be carried out separately and will stay well below the £50,000 threshold and within the budget set by MHCLG. As the MHCLG has issued very tight deadlines, existing procurement framework are proposed to meet these targets. The first Town Board must take place in January 2020 and Town Plan must be written by January 2021. Projects should focus on the following: 1. Urban regeneration, planning and land use: ensuring towns are thriving places for people to live and work, including by: a. Increasing density in town centres; b. Strengthening local economic assets including local cultural assets; c. Site acquisition, remediation, preparation, regeneration; and d. Making full use of planning tools to bring strategic direction and change. 2. Skills and enterprise infrastructure: driving private sector investment and ensuring towns have the space to support skills and small business development; and 3. Connectivity: developing local transport schemes that complement regional and national networks, as well as supporting the delivery of improved digital connectivity.